Planet ISKCON

Guru Maharaja narate story about life of Madhvacarya. Before Madhvacarya born, a crippled man go up his house roof and yell: "Vayudeva will appear.... Vayudeva will appear" then after that Madhvacarya was born, his parent give him name Vasudeva.

One day her mother take 5 year old Vasudeva to a place where a famous speaker of Purana gave a class. His mother and other people there quitely heard this speaker, but little Madhvacarya suddenly spoke: "Dear speaker, what Purana said is not what like you said". Then he began to explain about the verse and explain the meaning and everyone is agree with him. In one occassion his Father explain to him about the meaning of trees mentioned in Purana. his father skip one tree because he could not give the meaning. Madhvacarya knows it and asking his father "Father why you skip one tree?" and then he explained the tree meaning.

His father love his son Vasudeva very much, and he is very glad of Vasudeva inteligence. At the age of 7 year his father sent Madhvacarya to study under Acutya Preksa. Madhvacarya is very smart he understand the lesson very quickly and then playing for a whole day. Some said Madhvacarya swim like Hanuman, and wrestle like Bhima, but his teacher was not very happy because most of the time Madhvacarya just go out playing and never study. One day his teacher become very angry and ask him to repeat all the verses that already tought in the class, Madhvacarya repeat the verses perfectly and the mention the next verses for the next class, his teacher astonished and never bother him again.

Acyuta Preksa then initiated Vasudeva and gave him name Purnaprajna at the age of 11. Then Madhvacarya took sannyasa at the age of 12. He then travel around India and visited many holy places, had discussion with various famous people and strongly refuse mayavadi.

Later Madhvacarya go to Badrinatha to met Vyasadeva. He climb the mountain by jumping like hanuman, at first some of his disciple follow him but the can't keep up. Madhvacarya then met Vyasadeva and get teaching from Vyasadeva then Madhvacarya travel again with stronger teaching and travel all around India.

Please listen the audio for more stories of Madhvacarya.

Hare Krishna

“My child,” Svāyambhuva continued, “these followers of the god of wealth are not really your brother’s killers. It is destiny that creates a person, and destiny that destroys him. That is what creates everything, and what destroys everything, too.”

Dhruva would ask, “Why has the Supreme created so much destruction and death?”

Svāyambhuva replied, “No, no! He is not to blame for it. It is our own selfish ambitions that entangle us in the repercussions of trying to appropriate the beautiful world for ourselves. This world is his energy, and its rules are what creates, maintains, and destroys everything. He himself is equal to everyone. He is everyone’s true essence, true master, and true origin.”

Dhruva broke down in frustration, “I don’t like his rules, which have killed my brother!”

“My dear,” Svāyambhuva said compassionately, “learn to completely accept destiny, whether it brings life or death.”

“Why!?” Dhruva would ask.

“Because destiny is a system created by a person who wants the ultimate good for everyone in the world,” Svāyambhuva declared with a smile, “and also because fighting against it is useless. Even the creator of the world, Brahmā, has to follow this system like a bull follows the reigns tied to his nose.”

Dhruva was silent.

“When you were five years old,” Svāyambhuva reminded him, “you left your mother, with a heart broken by the insults of her co-wife. You went into the forest, and by your disciplines you saw him with your own eyes. Your worship of him granted you a place beyond anything in the three worlds. My dear, free yourself from all this hostility. Compose yourself. Look within yourself and search for that completely pure being who is singular, infallible, and transcendent. Do this, and you will realize that all schism is useless and fake. When you realize this, you will see your true self, and you will see the All-Attractive, who is the very essence of endless bliss and the wellspring of all energy. Supreme, transcendent devotion will flow from your true self to him, and loosening all the knots of ignorance tied tightly by selfishness and self-centeredness.”

Dhruva’s face regained its peace.

Svāyambhuva congratulated him. “You have conquered your true foe: anger. You are blessed! May you attain the supreme blessing! Do not forget what I have told you. Think about it often, King – just like taking medicine regularly to keep a chronic disease in check. People who become possessed by anger terrify the world. The wise, who value fearlessness and who value their true selves, should never let themselves become enrapt in anger.

“Out of anger you killed these pious gods, thinking, ‘they killed my brother.’ What you have done was an insult to the god of wealth, who is Śiva’s brother. Dear boy, go to him right away, seeking forgiveness. Offer your respects submissively and apologize. Do not allow the wrath of great beings to overtake our family.”

Dhruva thanked Svāyambhuva for his guidance, and Svāyambhuva then returned with his sages to his city.

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Translation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.11.24 ~ 35 [End of Chapter]

By Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Anger, destiny, fate, self-control

A new album by Ananda Monet published by Radha Krishna Records, London, UK.

"While the body is fit, there­fore, why should we not chant the holy name loudly and distinctly? If one does so it is quite pos­si­ble that even at the time of death, he will properly be able to chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith."

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.2.49 purport

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 May 2015, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.42)

Question: Why does maya make it so difficult for the jiva to attain Krsna when Mahaprabhu is wanting to give Krsna prema so easily?

Srila Prabhupada was explaining in one lecture which I happened to be listening to three days ago that maya is like the police. So maya is there for the criminals! Prabhupada said, “If you are a criminal then maya will give you so much trouble but if you are not a criminal, then there is no problem.” It is like when you are not a criminal, the police will not give you any difficulty. But when we are actually criminals, who are actually ignoring the laws of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and causing disturbances then we are not innocent, we are guilty. We are criminals, we are causing suffering to others, we are causing a lot of suffering in the world therefore maya is arresting us. Time is up and is sort of punishing us.

We may say, “Maya, why are you doing this to me? You know, I am the nicest guy in the world. Why do you not leave me alone? It is not fair. I am completely sincere.” Whereas we are not so sincere. Actually, we are thoroughly corrupted so it takes purification. Not even just purification of bad qualities but it even takes purification of our motivation. Even our motivation is not so pure.

Sometimes people accuse us and they say like, “Escapist! Escapist! Take responsibility! Get a job! Get married! Go get a job! Escapist!”
Of course, you reply, “Demon! How dare you say such a thing about a vaisnava? You know what you are doing? You are blaspheming the vaisnavas! Demon!” (laughter)

But the truth of the matter… maybe there is a little bit of an escapist in us. Work in a job from Monday to Friday, from nine to five? It is easier to live in the temple and say, “Oh sorry, Prabhu, I came two hours late for my service. I had to chant my rounds, Prabhu.”

It is pretty easy, you know, to walk into any temple in the world and ask for prasadam? Just rock up in time. So in some ways, we live very sheltered lives. It is quite comfy compared to the struggle for existence in the material world. So is our motivation that pure? Did we really only come because we want to serve Krsna and surrender our lives to Krsna? Or did we come because we did not like to work? We did not like so many other things and now we are here in the temple and life is good.

I was in one temple in East Africa in 1979.

Yeah, it was like, “Did the life members bring the fruit already?”
“Yes, they did.”
“Oh, are there any mangoes?”
“No, only papayas.”
“Only papayas! Oh gosh. Any programs today?”
“Yes, there is a program at the Gupta’s.”
“Oh, the Gupta’s! I am going to that one. Mrs Gupta, I mean she is a whiz in the kitchen.”

Is this the sankirtan yajna? Is this the preacher who is going to every town and village? svargāpavarga-narakeshv api tulyārtha-darśinah (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.17.28): He is ready to go to hell or to heaven, he is equal-minded, preach Krsna consciousness. Is that us? Or are we more like in a comfort zone?

We can reflect on these things sometimes and we can question our own motivation, “Am I here just to serve Krsna or am I here because in some ways, it is easy?” So, even motivation needs to be purified. So how sincere are we? So, we are criminals. Still, some criminal tendencies are there. Even when we are dressed up like this (in devotional attire), it does not mean that all the criminal tendencies are gone. So when maya sees some criminal tendencies, there she is again, pouncing with her potencies, and we fall down…

Haridas Thakur had no material desires. Maya tested him and then after duly testing him, she found he was free and she surrendered to him. So the pure devotee is beyond. Srila Prabhupada used to say, “You can fall down but I cannot.” The pure devotee is fully transcendental. So we are converted criminals. So that is why maya is still policing us.

Hare Krishna! Cultivating an Empathetic Heart
When I was a young devotee, I was strict about attending all the temple programs. But I found myself critical of devotees who didn’t always attend. One devotee suffered from an illness and did her best to come when she could. But I felt she could do better. Not long after those thoughts contaminated my consciousness, however, I became ill and often missed mangala-arati, the early-morning worship. Krishna accomplishes many things by one action, and one result of my illness was a diminishing of my critical mentality. Krishna has often placed me in situations similar to those of people for whom I lacked empathy, helping me develop more understanding of others’ difficulties.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17712

Florida Is “The Rathayatra State” With Over A Dozen Festivals
For many, the season of Rathayatra, or the Festival of Chariots, won’t start until the summer. But Florida, which has become “The Rathayatra State” with a record-holding one dozen festivals in-state and more organized by Florida devotees out-of-state, is already kicking off its celebrations. Most of the festivals are organized by devotees from Alachua county’s New Raman Reti, the largest ISKCON community in North America. They include former president Bhadra Das, second-generation devotee Govinda Syer, and Dharmaraj Das, who organized Rathayatras in his native Guyana for fourteen years before beginning the same service in Florida in 2002.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/d6hQRU

Happy Couples, Healthy Families, Strong ISKCON
In April and May 2015, Grihastha Vision Team (GVT) members, Uttama dasi and Partha das spent 5 weeks in Brazil, offering seminars, workshops, retreats, individual couple education and mentor training in various cities across Brazil. The Brazilian centers are developing a devotee care initiative, and one of the many aspects is to try to assist members to have better marital relationships.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/wGLLyr

Hare Krishna! Back in San Francisco
The Swami sat between us. He was unassuming, comfortable in all situations, and smiled a lot. His jolly manner was infectious, so I smiled a lot from being around him. If someone gave the Swami any money he would immediately use it for printing, either books or magazines, never for his own self. He lived simply, but he would accept gifts as tools if it helped him to serve Lord Krishna. He awoke at 2:00 a.m., bathed, chanted 250,000 Holy Names, or sixteen rounds on a rosary of 108 beads. He encouraged us to also take up this practice, which we did.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17709

The post Bhakti Charu Swami and Sivarama Swami speak at a Pandava Sena meeting at Anil Agarwal’s home on the Gift of Lord Caitanya appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Sri Mayapur International School: English teaching position available
We have a service opportunity for a Secondary School English teacher starting August 2015. If you have successful teaching experience with students aged 12 to 16, and would like to serve in Sri dham Mayapur we can offer you small mixed ability classes of well behaved devotee students, an attractive remuneration package and the opportunity to serve with a team of devotee teachers in a beautiful campus, next to Mayapur goshalla.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17706

The Amazing London Rathayatra!
Date: Sunday 14th June 2015
Details:
Route Map
47th London Rathayatra is Sunday 14 June.
Assemble at Hyde Park, South Carriage Drive 11.30am
Procession departs 12 noon
Arrives at Trafalgar Square 2.30pm
Festival in Square until 5.00pm
Festival Features:
Talks
Bhajans
Dramas
Stalls
Books & Paraphenalia
Free Vegetarian Prasadam Feast for all
Getting There
Dearest Reader,
Before start of procession the horse guards parade past the chariots
Everyone is welcome to Rathayatra.
The procession assembles just inside Hyde Park – 500 yards west of Hyde Park Corner.
You will clearly spot the three colourful carts as you approach. There are three or four kirtan (singing and instrument) sections, each with dancers.
You can pull the ropes on the cart (which bestows liberation) but please follow the instructions of stewards and staff.
The cart leaves Hyde Park promptly at mid-day and arrives at Trafalgar Square around 2.30pm.
This can feel like a long journey on a hot day and a OAP van is provided at the rear of the procession for the infirm.
Bring a bottle of water to refresh yourself along the way.
If you can, please come and enjoy the start of the procession before the Deities arrive.
London Festival in Trafalgar Square after the procession
The Deities come out of the temple to freely distribute Their loving glances to anyone and everyone.
Wherever the Lord appears He is accompanied by His beloved devotees and friends.
If you are also there then you will surely benefit eternally.
Thank you very much for reading. Look forward to seeing you at the festival!
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/67Wyhe

Hare Krishna! The Sublime Essence of the Lotus Feet
Placing the attention on the lotus feet with a reverential attitude can dispel mundane preoccupations of the ego, such as desires born out of vanity, pride and greed. Suffering, affliction, pain, fear and discontent fade away as body and mind become purified through attaching the mind to the lotus feet. The illusion of separation from the divine fades away. It is believed that upon first glance at the lotus feet, it is possible to perceive — via the senses — fresh lotus blossoms. Even to gaze upon the lotus feet can illumine the soul. In the act of falling at the lotus feet, touching the lotus feet, gazing upon the lotus feet or surrendering to the lotus feet, the ego can be subdued in favor of a higher state of awareness. The phrase “contacting the lotus feet of a guru” means to connect with a spiritual master to follow his teachings. It is considered an act of divine grace to be attracted to the lotus feet. By taking refuge at the master’s lotus feet, the devotee can receive innumerable spiritual benefits, just as he might attain through making pilgrimages, fasting, doing charitable acts, performing austerities and engaging in yogic disciplines. Sometimes the lotus feet are referred to as “a pool of sacred nectar that grants salvation to the world-weary pilgrims on the path.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17700

Hare Krishna! The mercy factor
Kadamba Kanana Swami: We can think of our heart as a palace with many rooms. Slowly, we open more rooms and we have to turn all these rooms into temples. But as long as we have any ideas of wanting material things, that means that we still lock out some rooms from Krsna – that is where our obstacles are. Everyone has some barriers otherwise we will all be ecstatic prema bhaktas, rolling on the ground in ecstasy. So, we may have some personal agenda but we minimize it more and more.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17697

Indian Actress Rituparna doing Lord Jagannath Abhishek

The post Daily Darshan – June 3rd, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Rajapur Jagannath Snan Yatra 2015 Photo Slideshow (4 min video)
The Snana Yatra is a bathing festival celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the month of Jyeshtha. It is an important festival of the Jagannath devotees. This is the first occasion in the year as per the Vaishnava calendar, when the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, and Madanmohan are brought out from the Jagannath Temple (Puri) and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi. There they are ceremonially bathed and decorated for a public audience with the devotees.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/cyb6JX

 

 

Journey to the mountains for a rejuvenating weekend of kirtan and yoga at our beautiful retreat in Otaki. Experience the magic and mystery of kirtan, guided meditations, morning yoga, and delicious vegetarian meals. Don’t forget to bring your instruments (and voices) for a kirtan jam session and a special party on Saturday night!

Friday 19th June – Sunday 21st June

We will leave 6pm Friday night and return Sunday afternoon

To register, email Kalyani at: kalyaniradha.dd@gmail.com

 

 

Journey to the mountains for a rejuvenating weekend of kirtan and yoga at our beautiful retreat in Otaki. Experience the magic and mystery of kirtan, guided meditations, morning yoga, and delicious vegetarian meals. Don’t forget to bring your instruments (and voices) for a kirtan jam session and a special party on Saturday night!

Friday 19th June – Sunday 21st June

We will leave 6pm Friday night and return Sunday afternoon

To register, email Kalyani at: kalyaniradha.dd@gmail.com

1.06.2015 H.G.Banabhatta Prabhu_SB-5.23.2

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 10.9 for the morning program.

“We are completely dependent on the association of devotees, because in their association we can chant the holy name, discuss Srimad-Bhagavatam, and make plans to spread Krishna consciousness. Our acaryas have prayed that if we have to take birth again, let us take birth in the home of devotees who have no other desire but to serve Krishna. Spiritually, we have all taken our birth in Srila Prabhupada’s home ISKCON—he built a house in which everyone can live. We should value every moment that we have to live in this home and value all the pure devotees in this household and hold onto their lotus feet and pray for their mercy that they will always keep us with them and engage us in Krishna’s service.”

Sadhu Sanga Retreat Kirtan
Sadhu Sanga Retreat Talk

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Youth Meeting at ISKCON, Melbourne
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Svāyambhuva Manu told Dhruva:

[15] “The five physical elements evolve into female and male life forms. Through intercourse, those life forms then fill this world with more female and male bodies. This is how people are created, and it is also how they are maintained and destroyed. All of it is just an interaction of Paramātmā’s external qualities.”

Why do the physical elements evolve into male and female life forms?

[17] Svāyambhuva explained, “The Supreme Person is the essential, original cause of all these evolutions in his external qualities, even though he himself is without any such external qualities. This whole world manifests and disappears because of him, like iron being moved by a magnet.”

What “magnet” does he use to cause this evolution?

[19] Svāyambhuva explained, “Time is the ‘magnet.’ The All-Attractive uses the energy of time to set his external qualities in motion.”

How does time come into contact with the external elements?

Svāyambhuva Manu explained, “His potency of individualized consciousness (the jīva) carries this energy into those qualities. It is only through them that his divine nature acts within this external world; he himself does not act here. It is only through them that things are killed and destroyed; he himself does not kill or destroy. All these deeds transpire merely by his distant separated energies. The true deeds of the Great Origin are certainly far beyond all this.

[20] “He is eternal and unchanging, but through the agency of time the Endless creates endings, and the Beginningless creates beginnings. It is only through the agency of people that other people are born, and it is they who kill one another. He certainly never takes sides. No one is his enemy. No one is his ally. Mortality affects everyone equally.”

Then why do some die young, while others live long?

[21] Svāyambhuva explained, “The individual conscious beings who become involved with the external world simply submit to the impartial rules he establishes, just as dust submits to the wind. Sometimes these rules diminish their lifespan; sometimes they increase it. He is not directly involved in either case. He is absorbed in internal affairs within himself, and his laws impartially reward and punish those absorbed in the external world.”

Why do the living entities behave in unique, different ways, earning different rewards and punishments from Paramātmā’s impartial system?

[22] Svāyambhuva explained, “Some say it is due to cause and effect, karma. Others say it is due to each individual having a unique nature, svabhāva. Some say that is all fate and predestination, daiva. But certainly others say it is because each individual person has their own individual desires, kāma.”

None of these opinions are entirely correct or incorrect, because they all play a role in causing living entities to be individuals. But the root of all of them is kāma, individual desire and will.

[23] Why do they all have different desires? Svāyambhuva Manu explained, “The Supreme, who is beyond scrutiny and beyond examination, likes to generate many different types of energy. My dear boy, among these philosophers and logians, no one really understands his intention. He has his own reasons, and he manifests things according to his own liking. There is no causality superior to his will.”

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Comments:

In 19, we see that time activates the external energy, and that time is carried into the external energy by the vibhakta-vīrya which VCT explains as the “individualized potency” known as jīva – individual souls like you and I. Time exists within consciousness (as does everything), so existing within the jīva’s consciousness, who herself is a distinct energy of the Supreme, time is carried into the external world and allows conscious will to set elemental evolution in motion. This concurs with the previous descriptions of initial creation given in the Second and Third Cantos.

19 also establishes that the separated conscious entities are denoted as such because they have independent free will. Their will is given autonomy by the Supreme, and allowed to operate on its own, separately from the Supreme Will. Of course it can, and should act in harmony with the Supreme Will. But this is not mandatory, nor does “harmony” indicate absolute uniformity and non-distinction.

19 also establishes that the things that happen in this world are not caused by “God.” They are caused by the inhabitants of the world, you and me. God is the remote cause, because he is the cause of you and I existing, but the direct cause is our own independent will.

20 confirms this and specifies that the Supreme is equally disposed impartially towards each and every one of his separated individual expansions of consciousness.

21 clarifies that different living beings experience different joys and sorrows, not because of God, but because of their own deeds. God is impartial, it is our own harmony or disharmony with his system (which also implies harmony with one another) which causes the impartial rewards and punishments.

22 seeks for the root of why the living entities should be individuals. The answer is that many factors are involved, but the root cause is kāma – individual taste, individual desire, individual will.

23 adds that the absolute root cause is the individual taste, desire and will of the Original, Self-Causing Being.

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This is a translation, with comments

On Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.11.15 ~ 23

by Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: destiny, fate, God, good and evil, Philosophy, will

On the way to the Sadhu Sanga Retreat we spent 3 blissful days at New Raman Reti in Alachua, Florida. We also visited the Krsna House in Gainsville. [ All photos by Damodar-rati dasa ]

“If you have got some time, the best thing would be to chant Hare Krishna more and more. Because our life is very short we have to finish our Krishna Consciousness in this life very quickly. We do not know when we shall meet our next death, our next exit from this platform. But before [...]

This is a photo of Vladimir, a highly decorated Russian soldier, who by chance walked into our hall program in Yekaterinburg. He fought for years with Russian special forces in both Afghanistan and Chechnya. After listening to my lecture he approached me and said, “Thank you for coming to our country. Yours is a message [...]

A short but sweet question and answer session with Chandramauli and Kadamba Kanana Swami's on the subject of attention to the sound.
Email subscribers please click the big blue link above to hear the audio.